High infection rates of Toxoplasma gondii in cattle, sheep and pigs from Israel.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa, which causes the zoonotic disease toxoplasmosis. T. gondii infects almost all warm blood animals.

How often an isolated cardiac disproportion predicts a coarctation of the aorta? Single center experience and systematic review of the literature.

Background: Cardiac disproportion is considered as an indirect sign of coarctation of the aorta (CoA). In this review, we have reassessed the positive predictive value (PPV) of such finding for a postnatal confirmation of CoA.

Data Sources: All cases of isolated cardiac disproportion diagnosed in the four-chamber and/or three-vessel/three-vessel and trachea views (right/left sections >1.

Is the short axis view of the fetal heart useful in improving the diagnostic accuracy of outlet ventricular septal defects?

Objectives: Outlet ventricular septal defects (VSDs) are usually suspected on the five-chamber view of the fetal heart; however, postnatal confirmation occurs only in a small number of cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the systematic assessment of the short axis view may improve the prediction of prenatally detected outlet VSDs.

Methods: Cases where isolated outlet VSD was suspected on the five-chamber view were assessed by using the short axis scanning plane for confirmation of the defect.